Tonights post is a little different than the ordinary....I want to say thank you to David Wagner for his book "Life as a Daymaker"....tonight I finally have it in my hands and will get to read the book for the first time....I am excited to read it. I remember when I first heard about it. I think I had read David's story on a hair website, I got the link from their newsletter, and I remember when I read David's story, how touched I was by it, how my eyes filled up with tears, how his story reminded me of my own....It takes someone truly great and special to touch someone's life in that way....David's story reminded me of how Andrew (my stylist) had showed me that I was beuatiful, he made me beautiful that day,, on prom that is.....he gave me back my confidence and for the fist time in my life I saw myself as beautiful......I know how much that has changed me....and it was David's story that made me realize just how much of a difference he had made, he is a true daymaker.......I am also inspired by David's story, that being a daymaker, doing a small act of kindness can change someone's life, and even save that person.I am inspired by David's work with the daymaker movement, spreading the word to everyone about how in being a daymaker we can change the world and make it a better place, how we each have the power to make someone's day, to brighten their lives.....David has shown the world that we do have a great power to make a difference, that even the littlest of kind gestures can make a difference.I knew once I read David's story I wanted the book, it would be the one book that I knew would change my life forever, after all I read David's story and I have been changed forever.David's kindess to me has been much appreciated to me, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart, David - you will never know how much your kindess and actions have changed my life, and how appreciative I am for all you have done for me, it means the world and more than any words can express.....I want to continue on in life now, armed with your beautiful, life changing book and go out into the world and continue to be a daymaker, but now more stronger than before, Thank you so much for everything, I am eternally greatful.....Let us all walk the world and be daymakers, "Daymaker= A persom who performs acts of kindness with the intentions of making the world a better place"I had searched for a long time for a book "Life as a Daymaker" by David Wagner, and tonight I finally get to have it in my hands, and I get the chance to read it for the first time....thank you so much David.

Hello,Ah my first post of 2007, wow I'm excited, its a brand new year with tons of new topics coming up for discussion and I will definately be posting alot more often, my schedule is not as nuts as it was during the fall.So my first post, I wanted to comment on a commercial I saw, that is irritating me more and more when I see it....I will not say the name of the brand, but I'm sure you can figure it out for yourself.Here's the claim..."Undo up to two years of damage in just one month"Truth: This cannot do what it claims to do! What do you think you can damage your hair as much as you want and that this product is going to do anything? If you believe their claim you need to get real and read on....advertisers will say whatever you want to hear!Okay lets set the records straight here, hair is dead, hence why you feel no pain when you get a haircut. So something that is dead cannot fix itself should it get damaged. For example, you break a vase you cannot restore it to the way that it was, once its damaged its damaged forever, it has no way of fixing the damage...hair is the same story, you damage it there is no way to fix that damage, you can mask it, try to make it look more cosmetically pleasing but you cannot fix it. Think about split ends, once you get them you can use that miracle product all you want and they are not going to suddenly disappear, the split ends will stay there until they are cut off.

But why do they make such claims?Because advertisers do not think that the average consumer is educated in anything that they are selling. Lets all be honest here, how many of us really know the intricate structure of hair? We damage it all the time, but we cannot see that we have destroyed the bonds of our hair when we bleach it, we do not see it...hence what you cannot see you tend to not know about.Okay, example time, when you bleach your hair you are destroying approximately 25% of the disulfide bonds, now can you see it? No.But most people who bleach there hair complain that their hair is dry or sometimes brittle...they don't think oh I've damaged my hair with the bleach, they just think oh my hair is dry and brittle, and run and pick up some products to try to fix the problem. Well the dryness and brittleness that you complain about after you bleach your hair is your hair telling you that you have done some damage to it! No shampoo or product can get those disulfide bonds back, but products can conceal the problem, they can make the hair look shiny and some products make the hair softer, but the damage is done. All the product can do is improve it cosmetically.

What do I mean by "improve it cosmetically" well here's what I mean...Think about make-up, when you put on foundation you can have a lovely flawless face right? But when you wash it off at night you are back to the same face you had before you put on your foundation, your flaws are evident again. See the job of foundation or concealer is to hide flaws, but the product does nothing to FIX the flaws, it masks them, it hides them. Most haircare products are the same, they cannot FIX the damage, they just mask it.

So can you really take away 2 years worth of damage in just one month with that product, not a chance! The product is not going to fix split ends, restore the disulfide bonds you have lost, or undo any damage you have done, especially not any heat damage you have done to it!You have to remember that hair is just that hair, it can only take so much, and once its taken all it can handle its going to give up. Think about hair that has been damaged by a botched tr, when the hair breaks its had it, its been damaged to a point where it can no longer "hold itself" where it is beyond repair.See that's why the best remedy for removing damage is a haircut, see by cutting off the hair your stylist is essentially removing the damaged hair...The product in the ad may make your hair shinnier, maybe make it smoother, but its not going to fix the majority of complaints people have with their hair....there have been products on the market to deal with shine and softness for a long time...oh as a heads up, even in the ad it says that it "removes the damage" by making hair softer. Wow, from the "it can remove two years worth of damage" to "by making hair smoother" what a difference!There is no way of removing two years of damage with any product, all products can do is make hair more cosmetically pleasing...products that claim to prevent breakage eg. Redken's Anti-Snap, simply fortify the cuticle, thus allowing the hair to "hold out" a little longer. Think also about treatments that bond split ends, its temporary, it gives the person a bit more time before they need to get it cut...its a temporary solution.So why blow your money on a product that doesn't do what its told...hey if it really was to remove two years of damage, people with botched tr's would be hailing the product and everyone would be able to abuse their hair to the max and just use the product....don't hear any hair pro hailing the product, ask your stylist/technician about the claims and you'll hear the same answer "it doesn't work" Next time you go for a haircut ask your stylist what's the best way to get rid of damage and you'll be hearing "a haircut".....As a side note about the brand...I have disliked the brand for quite some time now, I find that their products are difficult to wash out, where I always feel like there is a residue and many people have mentioned that feeling, their conditioner leaves build-up. Also the ingredient in their shampoo, their cleanser is the same cleanser found in draino...it's the harshest one....remember ALS (ammonium laureth/laryl sulfate) = harshest cleanser....SLS (sodium laureth/laryl suflate) = better much more gentle and TEA (way to long to spell) = best....but hardest to find!

Hope you have a great hair day always, and remember not to believe everything you hear on tv or read in ads, and read the fine print!

Hello again everyone, wow these last two weeks have been absolutely insane, I had two exams in one day last week, one of which was super hard, and today I had a take home exam due and another exam...but today's exam was good, my prof made sure we didn't stress over it. So now that exams are over, I'm back in gear with my journal...with lots of ideas, some of which you'll see in 2007.So I mentioned that last time I saw my stylist, he gave me two new products to use, Bedhead's Headrush and Bedhead's After Party, so now I'm ready to review each one of them, so let's start with Bedhead's Headrush

My review of it...I absolutely love this product, it is lightweight and doesn't weigh your hair down at all, it doesn't even feel like you have anything in your hair, its a super fine mist which is wonderful. Its also important to note that it does not leave any residue in your hair at all, and I swear even if you put a bit much on one part (its happened to me already) it won't weigh the hair down.Does it make your hair shiny? Heck yes, I love it, it's like you have put a gloss on your hair (you know the colour glazes/the clear glaze) it makes your hair look absolutely beautiful, well worth the price tag.If you are looking for a product to enhance your hair's shine and want something that won't weigh your hair down or make it feel greasy, then this is your product, people will be jealous of the amount of shine you get.How I use it...based on my stylist's advice I use this on the top part of my hair, I spray it and let it fall on my hair, it took some practice for me because for some reason I wanted to spray it like hairspray. Honestly all you need to do is spray it and let it fall on your hair and it's great. I also like to comb it through right after I apply it so that I spread it out more.

Next product....AfterPartyOkay this products bottle has the coolest lid in the world, I swear the product reminds me of a microphone (don't ask)What TIGI says....The perfect party favor. After-Party hair cream for silky, smooth, shiny, healthy looking hair.Control the funky fly-aways and silkify your hair.My review...Well if you bring that product with you to a party it will be talked about :) but why would you want to give away your good little secret?Does it make your hair silky and shiny and healthy looking? Yes it does and yes you will create jealousy at the party, because you'll have the shinest hair thereThis product is the form of a cream, but I do not find it heavy or greasy which again is a plus...it does wonders for controling fly-aways and it works for cowlicks too! No more accepting that fly-away because you can't control it, now you can!How I use it...I use this product on the ends of my hair, and I do absolutely love it and I'd recommend it to anyone, again worth the price tag.

So tell me the difference about the products again....Both are meant to add shine to the hair and both do it extremely well, both are used after the hair is dry.Headrush is in the form of a mist, which feels like nothing on your hair, its not greasy in the slightest bit (obviously)After-Party is in the form of a cream, I do not find it greasy at all, it is also lightweight, however this product can help control fly-awaysThe products ironically both cost me the same amount of money, both are $25 Canadian (it may be a bit more in some salons, I purchased mine at Toni&Guy)

I totally recommend these products to anyone interested in creating some shine to their hair, and yes you will have hair that others desire, your hair will look like it has a glaze on it. I also like Shine Junkie, and admittedly alternate between Shine Junkie and Headrush+After-Party. Shine Junkie seems a bit more oil based, but it is not heavy at all, it's not greasy, you only need a little bit of Shine Junkie to acheive the shine, and admittedly I think Shine Junkie gives maximum shine! However all three of the products are amazing and worth trying, Headrush is the lightest of them, with Shine Junkie however has more oils in it so it is slightly heavier, and if you have oily hair I don't recommend putting it on the root area, however, I'd never give it up,it is still my favourite product to enhance shine it's maximum shine...Headrush and After-Party also give massive shine, trust me whichever you pick your hair will be envied by people who have dull hair and whose hair is not as shiny as yours.....TIGI takes care of people's hair, their products are meant to put your hair at the centre of attention. --

Today was a salon day, but today was a little bit different, no longer was I going to see Andrew at Allan Parss, I was going to see him at Toni&Guy, the same place where I first met him, and memories of prom were made, but made by Andrew, my hair hero!So what was it like today? What did I learn? Well read on....I walk in take my coat off and get to wear one of those robes,but these ones say "Toni&Guy" on them, nice added touch. So its off to the shampoo bowl, the shampoo smells wonderful, and I knew right away from the scent it was Self-Absorbed, see I told you I know TIGI products so well I can tell what each smells like :) Anyways, there is no wonderful back massage there, sad but I can deal without. To me it does not matter about all the fancy little extras, what's important to me is that its Andrew doing my hair,he's the only one I trust to do my hair, and whereever he may go as long as he allows me to I want to follow him. After all let's not forget the guy made my dream come true, I don't think anyone else could have done for me what he did, no one else could have made me a goddess like he did, hey I got to be the star of my prom. Not only that, but on that first day he cut&styled my hair (which was my prom day) I got to experience seeing myself as beautiful for the first time that I can remember, that dream of being beautiful was made a reality, and I am eternally greatful.So then it time for my haircut......nothing drastically different, although I'm begining to get a desire for it, we decided to do something similar to my last haircut, but throughout the whole of the haircut, blow-dry and flat-iron, was pure conversation! It was a great conversation and I totally had alot of fun, I did tell him how wonderful he is and that I'm happy I get to follow him around, that he takes me as a client with him when he moves around, so that makes me happy, gotta love that! So then after my haircut I get my blow-dry and of course Andrew blow-drys my hair straight with a brush and blow-dryer first, it really is great for making the hair perfectly straight, also adds a bit of volume to the roots which is a nice touch. Then after that I get my hair flat ironed, really I love the flat iron! My hair = perfectly straight, after that one final part of the haircut, and some texturizing on the ends, which I totally love, I love that because it makes the ends look peicy, slightly worn in and just plain gives it movement to me. Thus, my hair has returned to its state of beauty, with movement, shine, and a shape again (why is it that when hair grows out it loses its beautiful shape?) So my haircut, I have my shorter layers in the front and it gradually gets longer to the back, like a U shape almost. My shorterst layers are at mid neck and my longest are about two inches from the back of my bra strap (so like two inches from the bottom of my shoulder blade) and of course my lovely texturized ends.I also got some new products and a new regimem, I'm now going to also use Bedhead's Headrush and Afterparty, two wonderful products that Andrew used on my hair today. I love hair care products, and I'm so looking foreward to trying out the regimen once I was my hair.I'll say this, for a span of 48 hours I had this really keen idea of letting my hair grow out literally another 5-8 inches, which would make it three quarters of the way down my back, like literally to the bottom of my rib cage. I thought I'd really want that, but then I thought I might miss out on the things about my haircut I love...the layers for one. So today I asked Andrew if it would work for me to grow it out, needless to say, "no" was the answer....he said that my hair needed movement and shape...something I wouldn't get with hair that long. Movement and shape for me are important, I mean I don't want just a pile of hair on my head, I want it to have a shape and a style, I want it to move with me, so that when I walk it moves, and to have gorgeous layeres that move freely in the wind (okay I think I got the point across) So my 48hour span of serious thought about it and then a week or so of just thinking what Andrew would say ended today.What did I learn.....how far courage and passion for what you do can take you. It's not enough to have the talent, talent is important for what you do, but you need to love what you do in order to succeed, you need to pour your heart and soul into what you do, to have passsion for it, especially when you are in the service industry, and more specifically in the beauty industry. In the beauty industry one is responsible for how another person looks and feels about the way he or she looks. Clients but all their trust into that one person's hands, and it is truly amazing what can come out of it when talent and passion/love blend together and create "a work of art"I learned all the more to want to push myself even more to succeed in everything that I attempt, to feel ever so confident about everything, to strive to be the best. To have courage....All this from a trip to the salon.....

Hello,I know it has been quite some time since my last post, my other work has kept me super busy with little time to sleep let alone breath (that's at least how it feels) Anyways, tonight I wanted to do a little review on a product I recently tried...well maybe I'll do two reviews tonight, I feel reved up to do a lengthy post (as usual)1st Product = Redken's All Soft Heavy Cream"Super treatment provides intense moisturization for deep conditioning. It penetrates easily to soften, detangle and control frizz. " - Redken product descriptionI decided to pick up this product because I felt my hair could use a moisturizing treatment, and I wanted softer hair. I tried the product and actually left it on for 15 minutes as the directions said "for extra dry hair" not that I thought I had extra dry hair, but I figured that it probably wouldn't do it any harm to leave it on that long......Upon application: The smell of the product is not great...I have to admit that scent for me is important in a product, I often find that the scent of the products I use in my hair tend to stay in the hair for some time. So if I'm going to have my hair smell like a product I want it to smell good.Another thing I noticed about the product is that it is a bit difficult to wash out of the hair, what i mean is that when you are rinsing the hair it does not seem to rinse off easily, you need a bit more time and effort to feel that you have removed it from your hair. Not a fan of that, but its not really a big bother. The one product I tried that I felt like I couldn't ever rinse of was L'oreal's Lisse Extreme, that was by far ridiculous, it took forever for me to feel that I had sufficiently rinsed the product out of my hair....and it had no scent.After the treatment: I'll admit my hair felt softer and it was, I was super de-duper happy about that. Did it detangle...hmm...I'm not so sure about that, possibly because I didn't comb the product through my hair as the instructions said...but even if I did I would have been detangling it then, before the product started working. Did it control the frizz...really I don't know....I used Bedhead's Control Freak Serum (as always) as part of my normal hair routine. Would it really control the frizz? No, any product that you wash off your hair is not going to protect your hair from frizz....frizz is caused by moisture/humidity penetrating the hair which in turn causes it to swell (thus frizz) In order to prevent frizz, one needs a product that will retard moisture, or prevent it from seeping into the hair. Anti-frizz products usually use ingredients such as silicone that repel water/moisture.My overall thought of the product: I like the product and have continued to use it, I love the fact that it makes my hair soft and it does make my hair more manageable and somewhat easier to straighten, my hair "listens" more. If you are in need of a good moisturizing treatment for your hair, say after a chemical service, then I definately recommend getting Redken's All Soft Heavy Cream, its worth it!Product #2: Redken Extreme Anti-SnapOkay I've tried this product, I wanted to see how well it worked on preventing split ends. Needless to say I was intrigued by this products claim"leave-in treatment gently smooths the cuticle, reduces friction from brushing and helps fortify hair that's prone to breaking, splitting or snapping off. "I honestly don't really know how well it works to "smooth the cuticle" especially when I heat style my hair with a blow-dryer and then a flat iron. I used it on my wet hair and as the instructions said I did not rinse it out. Now in all honesty I did not think this product would do much because split ends cannot be cured by anything other than a haircut....and hair that is prone to splitting or snapping off because of a bad chemical service is not going to be fixed by this product. I felt that the product would slow the breakage/split ends.Honestly that's a good way of thinking of it...it will NOT prevent split ends, breakage or wear on your hair, its just a product that slows the breakage and damage a bit.I used the product and didn't really notice any difference,....however in order to be fair I did a little experiment....I used the product regularily after a haircut to see if it would slow the appearance of split ends, and I'm pretty convinced that it didn't really make any difference to my hair, after all I heat style it. I think the product is a good temporary fix for hair that's prone to breaking...but really think its like a protectant, a bit of extra protection but wil not do anything but slightly slow the appearance of damaged hair. This may be a great alternative for people who have had a terrible chemical service. Say for example, if you had a botched TR service, yes I'd recommend the product because it can help slow the damage and save some of the hair...but for everyday purposes it isn't worth it.I'm really thinking I should do more product reviews, after all I own a bag full of hair care products, from shampoo to styling aid's...yes, 99% are all TIGI products....I own two B&B products and two Redken products, and way to many to count TIGI products.....TIGI is in my opinion the best company out there for hair care products....Control Freak is the #1 product for anti-frizz (anti-reversion and style saver for those of us who straighten our hair and can't stand it when humidity steps on the scene) That's the one product I couldn't live without. Shine Junkie is another huge favourite (aren't all TIGI products?LOL) I love the shine that it gives my hair...I'm running out....oh well that will constitue another visit for more products...I need more Bedhead(TIGI) cosmetics too so that will be one shopping trip. By the way, anyone interested in Bedhead cosmetics, (owned by TIGI) please give it a try, they have the best mascara, Wigged Out, no clumps, no excess on the brush, the coolest and best shapped brush, never had problems with this mascara. Their liquid liner is really great too, love the handle! The products are wonderful, they won't cause you to break out and their powders/foundations/concealers are oil-free. Wonderful line...take a look at www.tigihaircare.comHope you all enjoyed my review...I'll be back more often, as the work load is coming to an end (thankfully and finally)Have a great hair day always and remember

" I made through the wildnerness, somehow I made it through, didn't know how lost I was until I found you....you made me feel, ya you made me feel shiny and new......" - Like A Virgin By MadonnaJust listening to that song right now, sorry I have not written in a while, school has kept me super busy, I had to write five 8-10 page essays, and they were all due in the same week...it was nuts.So my birthday was this past Friday, (October 20) and this year I wanted to do something special, I wanted to get my hair done, and I did!n It was a super treat to start off my day having my hair done. Can not stress it enough, it is WONDERFUL to have someone pamper you and do your hair for you! Of course I couldn't keep it a secret that it was my birthday.So I write the importance of that part of my day, in my prom dress and a tiara on my head! (it was a birthday gift)I'll start off by saying that last week I made the mistake of just going anywhere to have my eyebrows done, (for kindness I will not mention the name)I have to say that was by far the worst experience of having my brows done ever. She did not even pay attention to how she was applying the wax, it was such a sloppy job...needless to say I ended up running out to buy eyebrow pencil, and was forced to wear it until my birthday that is...So I walk into the salon and after spilling the beans that it was my birthday, Andrew asked me if I needed any esthetics done, the first words that came out of my mouth were "don't my eyebrows look so bad!" and he said "We have a wonderful esthetician, she can fix them for you" and of course desperate to have my eyebrows look better, or shall I say "normal" I said yes. I do forget the womans name, but she was wonderful! She saved my eyebrows, and I was no longer complaining about how "bad" my eyebrows looked, needless to say I threw away the eyebrow pencil.Now to the hair part....I had a blow-dry and it was wonderful, did I ever mention how totally amazing those chairs at the shampoo bowl are? Those are gold...I seriously want to take one home. After that its off to get my hair styled perfectly pin straight. After three years of having my hair blow-dried straight it doesn't even phase on me how it feels. I have to say it, being able to blow-dry my hair straight is a God-given talent...Andrew, man you are blessed with being able to blow-dry my hair straight to perfection! I admit it, I wish I could do what you can! So I got my hair blow-dried and flat ironed to perfection, and it meant so much to me...My confidence was in overdrive (which is a awesome thing for me) and I was a beauty queen....I remember saying this "now all I need is a tiara and I am a princess" seriously I felt that great. It meant alot to me to have that amount of attention paid to me, and for making my hair look perfect on a super important day...but I'll say this, regardless of the occassion I always feel that I get that special attention on my hair, and it makes all the difference in my confidence, many thanks.

So what I am I working on for future posts, yes I've kept stuff in mind silly....my love has not faded, just school had to come first (well essays) I've got some more technical hair stuff coming out (oh yes, TR and vertical smoothing info, I know you want it)and the rest I want to keep secret, that way I keep you all in suspence!

Never forget the power that you have within you to make someone's day...be the daymaker, the dream-come true maker......

Hello all, its currently 11:26pm, and despite the fact I have been overly busy with homework I needed to write tonight, as its been some time since I have. So here is tonights post....What is right for YOU!It's been a while since I ever bought a fashion magazine, and I'm fresh out of teenagerhood.....to be honest never really had an interest in magazines, except during prom season for dresses of course. I personally don't care for fashion magazine's....I don't undertand some of the things that are in style, the Ugg boots and skinny jeans, really, and lets be honest here, who looks even decent in them. Skinny jeans just make you look like an ice cream cone, our hips are wide and then we are getting a narrow pant line to the point where its tight at the ankle...give you the impression of ice cream cone, wide top and narrow bottom? I admit the idea of "ice cream cone" came from "What Not to Wear" the Stacey and Clinton one on TLC (my favourite TV chanel) Those two cared to dress you in what looks good on you, not on following every silly trend, never see skinny jeans nor this Ugg boots (apparently sheep farmers have those boots....)Okay so on to my point, I read this article on line about hair, and how the hot trend was a"bob" the author of the article was like it's a hot cut and everyone should get that haircut. What did she say was out? Super long hair at your waist (that I'm not sure about looking great on anyone...that's a matter for my hair guru to answer, but it depends on the person)My first thought was "ill a bob? Nasty...that won't work" and then this idea came to me, how could a fashion writer or beauty writer possibly be able to tell what looks good on everyone. Everyone is different and each unique so how is it fitting to say that EVERYONE should have a "slightly above the shoulders bob" there are people who would not look great in that bob, myself included. Then I thought about something Kevyn Aucoin had said "if you hear the words 'always' or 'never' at a make-up counter run, run the opposite direction...make-up should be fun not facist" The man was right, why think that there are rules to make-up, not everyone is going to look fabulous in that orange eyeshadow that is "the hot item of the season" There are people who take that orange eyeshadow well and others who won't and don't. Would it not seem strange to wear an eyeshadow colour that looks horrible on you just because it is in style?Why the heck would you want to conform to every trend instead of having your own unique look, and by that I mean why follow every trend instead of seeing what works and what doesn't for you. You can participate in trends but shouldn't have to be a slave to them.Back to the hair thing again....haven't you ever noticed how someone can pull off that haircut or colour that just doesn't work for you when you have it done? I'll say one about me, I've always had a fascination with blonde hair, I always wanted blonde hair, and of course there was a time where blonde was THE haircolour of the season...but did I ever go blonde? Nope, why because I was told flat out that blonde hair will not suit my complexion, that I would look weird and it would look terrible on me...thus still to this day I have not ever coloured my hair...my dream of being blonde went in the hole. The girl that sat next to me in subway carried off her dyed blonde hair well because of her complexion and skin tone, where I would never carry blonde well. Isn't this the same with haircuts? I mean realistically how cool would a girl or guy with thick, coarse, curly/puffy hair look with a "slightly above the shoulder bob" that is THE in haircut...well frankly it would just be a thick mass of volume, tooo much volume! Not a good look and bound too create tears in the client the moment she lays eyes on it....I guess that's why some hairstylists actually TELL the client what will work and what won't. Stylists need to sift that "illusion" from reality. There are certain cuts that work for certain people and some that won't, but why should a stupid internet article or fashion magazine tell you what you are supposed to look like. I have to add, the article author was not fond of Madonna's little retro flip thing going on with her hair, if you've seen "Hung Up" (the video) you will see that her "bangs" are flipped out. Personally I think it's cute, and it WORKS for Madonna, she can pull it off. But the author thought that it was "not cool" funny thing is I didn't see a pic of the author, wonder if she's sporting that bob she says is in....Okay I'll say this every haircut I have seen on Madonna (and I'm a huge fan, so lots of pics I see) has looked good on her, why because whoever does her hair takes into consideration what works for her. Plus Madonna is a trend setter not a trend follower, bless that woman's heart for being a leader and an inspiration. That flip honestly is cool in my opinion, would I try it sure, because hey I can wash the style out if I didn't like it.My question is why should some magazine dictate to you how to look, act or be. I also despise those magazine's with the articles of "how to get the guy" they have personally nothing of value in them, the author's don't have a clue about anything and the articles are so superficial..."go up to him and say hi" right, and no one knew that, stop the presses a discovery was made that if I say hi to a guy he will probably say hi back. Most people who read the "how to get a guy" have an issue, most times fear of rejection or shyness, and that article won't touch on that.Then again what does a magazine know? It tells you how to be, and who to be, that it's okay to wear some trend that looks bad on you, because it's a trend. The magazine needs you to be a little doll, influenced by its words and looks how its told.....Why not smarten up, and think for yourself, not sure if a particular make-up colour, or haircut or colour will look on you? Well then hire a good stylist/colour technician and find a good make-up artist to help you decide that.There are people out there gifted in knowing what will work for you...with make-upand hair colour skin tone and colour has alot to do with the results, thus what looks good and what won't....with hair, face shape, hair texture and shape etc will dictate which direction your stylist should take with the cut....I'll add this last remark, a great make-up artist, hair colourist, hair stylist will tell you their honest opinion, should you think that orange eyeshadow is stunning when in reality it's not a good make-up artist will tell you that it's not doing anything for you...same with hair colour and cut...your professional should tell you what works for you and if the idea you are presenting will work for you and if not why not.....So ditch the magazine's and find your true self, do what works for you, after all we are all different and each is unique.

I don't know if I say it enough but I LOVE going to the salon! Today was another one of my salon days, oh I need them more often. Okay before I say that, after I left the salon all I kept thinking (besides how much I love this cut and my hair) was "something smells good, what is it?" and later I find out its my hair....one of the products in it smells so great!Okay now on to my salon day The weather may not have been the best today, it was dark and overcast....I was paranoid that it was going to rain today, and so far so good it has not, but I'm home anyways.So I get to the salon and off to the shampoo bowl, I really love those shampoo bowl chairs...that massage feature is pure gold....Now if I could get one for my house...After a nice relaxing shampoo and conditioner its time for the haircut so then I ask what the plan is....answer "a surprise" So I decide okay I'll let him cut it the way he wants to. So I get turned around I have not clue about what exactly is going on, but I can see the length that is being cut off. At first it kinda seemed like a lot, but in reality it wasn't. When I get turned back around I realize that it wasn't as short as I thought, it was still long. So once the front of the hair gets cut then its time for the rest of the haircut. Then after the haircut comes the blow-dry...isn't it fun doing that? Definately for me, because I just sit there and relax, but Andrew gets a nice workout for his arms...hehe. The amazing thing about it is that he is such a perfectionist when it comes to doing the blow-dry and straightening/flat ironing. He took his time making sure that it was just perfect, no short cuts, he made sure that my hair was straight with the brush and blow-dryer when realistically he could have just used the flat iron. That however means so much to me, to know that he cares enough to do it perfectly means alot. He knows how important having perfectly straight hair is to me and delievers upon that. After the blow-dry and flat iron a final touch on the haircut, and some texturizing, and then voila it's done and then I get to see it,...as it was coming together I was getting excited to see it. Admittingly I was a bit nervous at first to have him do the cut on me....I got the impiression that it would be pretty short, when that was not the case at all. The first time he cut my hair which was prom I never questioned him, I just let him do whatever he wanted to do...and that was a big change, just letting someone completely decide for me the way I was going to look, but 100% worth it...after all I got to be a prom queen/goddess.....the memories. So I think to myself after 3+ years I question the idea he puts forth to me? I won't question him again, after all why should I, I trust him. The end result was absolutely wonderful, I love this haircut soo much! The layers in the front are shorter they reach about mid neck, my layers are also shorter and the back is more of a straight line rather than the v, so something like a u shape. My ends have been texturized as well. My hair has so much movement and it looks sooo healthy, I love it....I won't question again.....after all Andrew is my hair guru.

Sometimes just letting go and trying something new is worth every moment of uncertainty...but trusting the person who intends to make the change to you is the key to it all......change IS and can be good! It definately was today for me!

Hello everyone,I have to say it, today I bough the Madonna designed (and she owns one) track jacket from H&M....I'm a huge Madonna fan, incase you didn't know that already. That jacket I have to admit looks so awesome on me and I love that jacket, I think I want another one.....Okay, now to the blog entry of the night....Don't believe all that you see and hear on t.v.Okay so that has been said before, but I'm serious about it. Many of us fall prey to the scheme's and promises these companies make why because we want whatever it is they are promising us. I saw a commercial for a shampoo that said it would make your hair super shiny. If you see the model you think wow she has super shiny hair and that the product can actually live up to its promise, but know to unviel the truth...in short can shampoo make your hair super shiny or shiny? NoThe amount of shine depends on the way light bounces off the hair, people with straight hair tend to have shiny hair, because the light bounces off straight hair better than it does curly hair. Curly hair is kinda like having a stucco ceiling (the ones with the dots all over you know) since the surface is not flat the light does not reflect off of it very well and there it seems somewhat dull.....with a plain ceililing the light bounces off it beautifully, same thing with hair, but the hair appears shiny.....I'm not saying that curly hair cannot be shiny, just trying to explain the basic elements of light and how it affects hair.Shine can also come from hair care products, like Shine Junkie by Bedhead, my personal favourite. This product is a finishing product, so it's left in and now washed out and it basically coats the hair making it shiny and it really does a great job. Products intended to create shine are leave in products, they basically coat the hair and make it look shiny, alot of these products can contain oils.Now can shampoo make hair shiny? No, why? Because the product is rinsed off.....what good can it do if its not on the hair....shampoo will not penetrate into the cuticle to change the shine factor or anything like that. Shampoo's job is to cleanse the hair and scalp, plain and simply, want to ad shine, try Shine Junkie by Bedhead.Now having said that, healthy hair also tends to have a natural shine, hair that is moisture and protein balanced tends to be shinier than say dry hair. So keeping your hair in tip top condition (which includes regular haircuts and using professional salon quality products and don't forget a properly balanced diet) will also help your hair retain its luster.....Just think about it, that model in that commercial had her hair done by some professional stylist, and who knows what products she has in there to make her hair shiny and who knows if she has had a glaze done (a clear hair colour that just adds shine to the hair) to her hair.....so don't believe all that you hear or see on t.v. they are appealing to your desires without telling you the truth, well the whole truth that is.....no pro-vitamin can magically make your hair shiny....a product yes, but a shampoo with some quirky name to it, no.....no shampoo in general.As always have a great hair day and remember

Hello again everyone,Its been some time since my last post, work has kept me so busy, I need a day off to relax again......Well I came across this on Steve's site and I thought it would be a great little addition"Each of these processes(vertical smoothing,TR & relaxers) results in some destruction of the cystine or disulfide bonds. Peroxide and other oxidizing agents convert cystine to cysteic acid, which is not a cross-link and therefore weakens the hair structure. The longer peroxide has been exposed to the hair, the more cysteic acid will be formed.

Bleaching or streaks convert 25% of the disulfide bonds to cysteic acid. Since only about 50% of all the hair's disulfide bonds are involved in perming (Opti smooth/Cold/Heat permanent hair straightening), this means that half may already be gone or destructed before the perming process begins. Therefore, you should not expect a firm, long lasting straightness with bleached/streaked hair, since there are fewer bonds to support it! Nonprofessional language:

For example, try to visualize your hair as though it is a 10 foot long ladder that has 10 rungs. Each time you cut 25% of the rungs (streak/highlight your hair), it results in some destruction of the ladder. So now this hypothetical ladder becomes wobbly and dangerous to climb and may break apart if you attempt to climb it, since there are fewer rungs to support it! The exact same thing with hair.

Afraid! Sure, as I said, there is a chance for the hair to break. It's not that you cannot get the Opti.smooth, it's just that you need a very skilled and experienced hair straightening expert that understands the chemistry and the science behind his art. Keep in mind, a trained stylist is not enough. First, this special stylist and NOT just any trained stylist will test and evaluate your hair and if all seems to be good, the streaked sections will be protected and the strength is adjusted to the process. Otherwise, those streaked sections of your hair will be over-processed and becomes very sick. And once that happens, there is NO cure, except to cut it off. "copyright www.verticalsinhair.com Steve Tcherkezian.

Steve is so wonderful at teaching, his example above is a great way to understand hair, that is how I learned to understand it.

Hope this is of some aid to those of you considering any of these chemical services

Hello everyone,Today was a totally wonderful day, I feel so happy and yet so relaxed....okay so it's 11:45pm and I'm sitting here writing this journal. Today was another one of my salon days, and a much needed one. I wanted to treat myself to something special after a small step up in the work world and also I have a special occassion I'm attending. I'll be honest and say that I really wanted to go for me, a treat for me.......This past week has been so stressful for me, and yesterday was quite a down day for me. I just felt so stressed out and burned out. I guess it must have showed, because today at the salon I got to have a hair treatment (yah!) and it was one of the most relaxing things in the world...I don't ever remember being so relaxed that way. It was totally wonderful and after a few minutes of laying there with the massage going all the troubles just melted away. I lay there at the shampoo bowl enjoying that wonderful massage feature and closed my eyes and just let everything go....totally good way to relieve stress I must say. Just what I needed ;)Well I got my hair straightened to perfection, ah I must say I love that so much, it's nice you know to just have it so perfect. I've never seen my hair be so calm and puff free from just a blow-dry, when I do my hair, I have to sleep on it to get rid of the excess puff. Andrew you are so good at what you do oh hair guru! I have to add one more thing to this, today I got to try out a new product, not only did I get to see what the product could do I got to also learn to apply it properly! You know it's one thing to buy a product, to know what it does but another to actually apply it properly. I'm glad I learned to apply it properly, nice to have the opportunity to try applying it that way someone can tell you if you are doing it right or wrong and correct you. Now I just have to remember the rule, run the fingers through the hair.Now the lesson in all this should be fairly evident. One is to realize the importance of educating the client when giving them new product, its important that we understand how to use and apply the products we are being given and yes being told why we should use it is important....helps get the product off the shelf :)Also sometimes its nice to know what the client needs without them having to say a word, but that's something special in itself......

Tonight I come here inspired by a posting that I just read on Steve (one of my hair guru's) website. The post made me think and then I knew I had to write on this....

TR and you (the client)You dream of pin straight hair everyday, you know that is what you want, after all you are looking for that sleek, straight, sexy look you have been doing at home with the flat iron and blow-dryer for so long. You go to the salon just for a blow-dry, and now you hear of this wonder called "Thermal Reconditioning" it promises you straight hair and very importantly frizz-free hair.You look up this wonderful service and realize hey it's being offered in a salon in my area...my question to you is what is your next step?

-Do you actually do your research about the service so that you are knowledgeable about the service and know what to ask and what to expect from it and your technician?-Or do you just go and book the appointment?

I hope you do the former rather than the second option...but my question to you then if you choose the first one is have you done enough research to know what to look for in a technican, could you identify a TR expert from a TR newbie?Could you recognize the right answers to the interview questions? I mean it's wonderful to use the resource that I have posted from Steve's site about what questions to ask in the interview (TR Technician Interview Sheet) but you have to know the right answers to the questions in order to be successful in choosing the right techniciam?If you don't you'd better find them out, check out Steve's site www.verticalsinhair.com and read through the rest of my site for more info on them.....

Your best bet as a client is to do your research, as TR is still fairly new here in North America, way too many technicians are still learning and/or clueless about the science behind the art of TR. TR is more complicated than it seems, it's more than applying, hoping and praying that it comes out okay. It's aabout understanding what is happening every step of the way to the hair, and knowing how to properly evaluate the hair, and most importantly being dedicated to that one client and booking the right amount of time for that client!!!!

Research everything you can! Once that's over it's time for the consultation and consult with a few different technicians, compare answers to the answers you have received from Steve's site and compare the technicians answers. Remember just because they have a before and after pictures doesn't mean that client didn't have any problems, most problems surface after the first wash......that's 72 hours later!

Now my question is why do so many people have a bad TR experience?The answers I can come up with are a few..1- Not enough research on the clients part...I know you expect that since the salon is offering the service that the technician has to know what they are doing...but I'm sure you know better than that, there are technicians/stylists out there who are better than others, and more talented than others and most of the best ones have ongoing education.2- The technician does not understand the science behind the art.....my question then to them is why are you even providing the service if you don't understand the science behind the art? A one day training course or video tape isn't going to make you a professional let alone an expert...don't know or fully understand TR then don't do it, avoid the heartache for the client and the headache for yourself, lost revenue can't be good for business and neither is a soiled reputation.3- Clients just do it...you don't do the research, don't do enough of it or worse, do it but just want TR so bad you just let anyone do it.

For those who just let anyone do it, what for? It's your hair, you have to live with the mess if it goes wrong. Why not do the research? No one good in your area, then why wing it? Just don't have it done, save yourself the heartache. I know some people do just let anyone or settle for less and then heartaches over a botched job comes into play.

You know though what really strikes me, a client gets a botched TR and then goes back to that technician to allow them to try to fix it....HELLO! If they did it wrong the first time what makes you think they can do it right the second time? I mean does the technician even realize where the mistake is or are they just re-doing the hair? Knowing TR also means understanding why TR can fail or has failed. When people get these "fixes/redo's" do you even realize what has gone wrong? Does the technician tell you the truth or just blame you....because I've heard this case where a technician blamed the client who followed all the appropriate aftercare, and in fact the mistake lay with the technician!

I'm sorry but if after a botched TR you go back to the same technician do do your re-touch then you are truly playing with fire......if you damage your hair you realize that you have to deal with the consequences and trust me no one, but especially no woman wants to deal with her hair falling out or breaking everywhere!

"See here is the problem. The majority of people who have had their hair TRd are ecstatic. And when you look close, you'll notice the job was not done properly, yet people are overjoyed; until oops, they start noticing the problems. Come to me or Go to a TR stylist that has a good reputation in doing this process. You want a TR stylist that causes NO hair breakage and NO reduction. That's MOST important. The other thing I want to caution people is I notice many clients come to me from other salons with chemical and mechanical bends: mechanical and chemical damage due to wrong chemical application techniques and wrong ironing techniques. So people who get excited about their straight, frizz free TRd hair SHOULDN'T be too excited when the hair had received ALL this damage. People should look beyond and for the long term of doing this process. And remember, these damages are always the TR stylist's mistake and NOT the TR product itself. For example, CHI or Bio Ionics does not cause the hair damage or bends: The TR stylist causes it - ALWAYS. "Copyright Steve Tcherkezian www.verticalsinhair.com

Hello again,I couldn't help but be inspired to write this post based on an advertisement I had seen. The ad makes two key claims 1-It's easy to damage hair and 2-Our product will repair it. Let me analyze....Yes it is true, it is easy to damage our hair, why? because look at all that we do to it, we heat style it, colour it, chemically alter it, oh so much we do to it...not only that but the environment helps out, the winds and the sun not to mention the horrid humidity. Hair is also easy to damage because unlike our skin it does not repair itself, hair is dead and once it's damaged there is no real way to fix it, well there is one way, a haircut will do the trick, the one way to remove damage is to have it cut off.Okay I led into the second claim, just about proving the whole ad wrong and misleading. No shampoo or conditioner can actually REPAIR the damage that is done, again because hair is dead there is no way for the damage to be repaired without resorting to cutting the damage off. Once the damage is done its done. I know you probably wonder then what deep treatments are for, well they are good for preventing damage or slowing its effects. Think about this, a person heat styles their hair, dries it with the blow-dryer and straightens it with the iron, its obviously going to damage the hair right? Sure, you can use heat protectants and you should be using them, but they reduce the damage, they can't prevent it completely. A heat protectant would be like a first line of defence, but since the hair is getting heated it's going to get damaged, using a heat protectant will help reduce the effects of the iron. So the damage is in a sense slowed. Deep treatments are also a good way to restore moisture and protein to the hair and a perfect idea for someone who heat styles often, again it will help reduce the amount of damage, but doesn't PREVENT IT! Oh and by the way shampoo will not do anything to repair the hair, the main job of shampoo is to cleanse the hair.....if you are looking for something to help your hair, a little boost try a deep treatment, it will give your hair an added boost.My point hair is easy to damage, of course, but hair is easy to repair, yes with a haircut! No product can ever fully repair and resotre the hair, hair is dead and once the damage is done its done you cannot fix it....the only method of beridding that damage is with a haircut....

Hello everyone,Tonight I read something that I thought I should share with you all, it's from www.verticalsinhair.com, Steve's site (one of my hair guru's) and it is a great read for anyone considering any chemical straightening/smoothing service. So read on and enjoy......"Because hair diameter and proportion of cuticle to cortex are different, penetration time varies even with hair of equal condition. Studies show that the time of penetration for hair of equal condition and TR solution of equal strength is fastest for average diameter, and slowest for coarse hair, with fine hair in the middle. So as you can see, it is difficult to answer your questions as to the processing time and the choice of formula strength. If I was doing your TR, I would first determine its texture, structural strength and its porosity level and its condition. Then on I'll decide which formula to use. In addition, I'll take into consideration the scientific study report and most likely I'll be using the lower pH strength (Soft formula or Normal strength), instead of FSD. Once the thio solution had been applied, I would run an elasticity test periodically. This will indicate to me the exact or just about the exact time to rinse the thio (Liscio) solution. For instance, I use Straight Tio TR System. Straight Tio comes in 3 strengths - pH 6.6, pH 8.8 and pH 9.5. FSD would be equivalent to Straight Tio pH 9.5. I would use pH 8.8 on your hair. There is a misconception amongst stylists regarding FSD and other TR systems that are formulated for "Virgin, Curly & Resistant Hair". The term "For Virgin Extremely Curly and Resistant Hair" is misleading for stylists that are not familiar with the science of permanent straightening. The majority of stylists look at the hair type and ignore the texture of the hair and so if it is curly or extremely curly, they'll automatically use the FSD which may most likely be the wrong choice formula to begin with. As I said, before I do TR on a client, I must spend some time analyzing her hair type, condition and styling habits. This information will give me an idea of what corrective work I will do. It will also help me determine which formula is best for the client. Most important, this analysis will give me the information I need to give my client a better idea of how their hair type and condition will affect the success of the TR. Sometimes I need to customize the TR solution according to the different hair type in the nape area verses the crown area of head of hair. " Steve Tcherkezian www.verticalsinhair.comI hope that the message of that is clear, TR is still very new and alot of technicians are just jumping on the TR bandwagon without truly understanding what they are doing and ruining people's hair in the process. TR is not about applying, hoping and praying that it turns out okay, nor is it about playing kitchen chemist, it's about understanding the science behind the art. TR is not regulated and there is no real course on this....most technicians learn from a one or two day seminar, a video tape, or a one day class. Think about this.....before a hairstylist can actually start cutting hair on clients he or she has to be trained, and many stylists go through vigorous training before they start actually doing clients and it takes many of them many years before they start charging about $100 + for a cut. There is no way someone who just learned to cut hair from a one or two day seminar/class or video tape would be hired to start cutting hair, let alone charge good money for it, so why do people pay big bucks for a chemical technician who just learned yesterday or is still learning. In the beauty industry there seem to be prices for students, you know how some beauty schools offer cheaper prices in exchange for a student to get practice before they actually get liscenced? TR is not that way. If you are a stylist or a technician you can buy the stuff watch the video and start offering the service tomorrow! Why would you allow such a person to play games with your hair? You are paying that technician a ridiculous sum of money so don't allow them to mess it up for you....think, would you pay a stylist who has only cut hair once or twice while watching a video and having no real practice to charge you $100+ let alone cut your hair? No, I didn't think so.....Don't just trust anyone to chemically alter your hair, more damage can be done then you think, THINK do your research and ask questions......it may take time to find someone really good but it will be well worth it.Remember

Here are two FAQ's about TR along with the response, so it's time to set the facts straight on these two questions.....Q. I'm confused. I'm having TR next week. After years and years of blow drying and ironing, I thought after TR I wouldn't have to use an iron again. But it sounds from a lot of you that I do! Can someone please explain this? I thought the hair comes out very straight and you just wash and go!! Thanks ahead!A. How your hair comes out post-TR depends a lot on the condition of your hair pre-TR, and the experience of your stylist. If you have "virgin" hair (no highlights, previous relaxers, etc) then you have a better chance of winding up with "wash and go" hair... that is if you go to a good stylist. However, if you've had chemical processes done to your hair in the past and that hair hasn't grown out yet, you may need to do more post-TR ironing to get that straight sleek look. Q. Which TR system is the best?A. Don't think about the TR solution. The stylist is the most important thing. Yuko is first TR solution in the world. I like STRAIGHT TIO a lot because it is the most versatile TR product on the market. Liscio, iStraight, rusk8st, I think they are great as well. Not a big difference. It all depends on the stylist's experience. Each stylist has different experience with their TR system. But nobody can say that their system is best. There is no master of TR and the best one is just a little more experienced. copyright Steve Tcherkezian www.verticalsinhair.com

Hello again,It's 9:49 on June 20th 2006, and I find myself thinking about the most incredible day of my life which was also the most life changing. It was three years ago today that my life changed in a way I never thought possible, one of my dreams came true. So I sit and think about it.June 20th 2003 was the day of my prom, ah did life change that day, I remember this day like it was yesterday. That day was the first time I had known beauty and for the first time had straight hair. Not to mention I got to be the star of my prom and the center of attention.I think back and remember the joy of that day, and how blessed I was to have the dream come true, the one where I know beauty and have beautiful hair. When I think about that day, I think about this blog's dedication and I re-read what I had wrote about the person who changed my life that day three years ago and allowed my dream to become a reality....here was what I wrote...."Well I met Andrew a little over a year and a half ago when I was looking for a stylist to do my hair for prom, and I really got lucky and met him, the consultation went very well, he was the first stylist to actually listen to me and he was able to give me a clear thought of his idea or vision for my hair. Prom was the greatest day of my life...I had never had my hair straight before, and I did not even recognize myself that day, I looked amazing, I never felt that way about myself before...I was beautiful, and the self-esteem was through the roof........Andrew, for the best day of my life, a dream come true."It's been three years since that day, and I am still as greatful today as I was that day for that beautiful gift, something that I will treasure forever. I have to say this again and again, Thank you Andrew for the best day of my life and the dream come true, you will never know what it meant and did for me!

Hello again everyone,I know its been some time since my last post, but work has kept me so busy, and the little down time I have I have been busy doing other things. However I would not be able to stay away too long without writing here.I wanted to share something with you all, yesterday my site hit the highest per day visits since opening this site, and I was extremely proud of that.I learned something very amazing today and it totally made my day, my website was able to do something quite extraordinary, it reached a reader in a whole new way....and I am so happy to know that this site did provide influence in the way it did.

I have noticed alot of visitors lately are looking for information regarding easystraight. I have only one thing to say about easystraight....save your hair and your money, this product is not worth it! Go have your hair done by a professional (of course using the interview and consultation sheets I have posted on my site) because its your hair and you deserve the best...well that was more than one thing, but it needed to be said.

So today I go for a visit at Allan Parss, my salon to have my haircut, it has been some time since I last had it cut and I have to say I'm loving this cut alot. I am totally in love with the layers, I think they are so awesome, just love them! Alright I'll come right out and say it, I love having my hair straightened by my stylist Andrew, the man is amazing at doing that. It is totally straight and I love it. Andrew you got me hooked on straight hair!So to start my visit I get my hair washed, ah those lovely chairs are soooo wonderful, I love it, have your hair washed and have your back massaged, what could be better. I find that part so relaxing, everything just melts away and you feel so relaxed... I want one of those chairs at my house! Then comes time for my haircut, its nice to know that my split ends are gone, I swear it's really irritating when you see them but they are gone now! Then my hair gets blow-dried straight and then flat ironed to pin-straight perfection. Honestly though I've tried straightening my own hair with a brush and blow-dryer and I can't get the technique down, for me its the flat iron all the way. My haircut is fairly similar to my previous one except this time it seems that my layers look different, they seem more defined, and I am in love with them! Andrew calls them "choppy" layers, but I so love them....I like the whole "worn in" look to, definately something really cool. What can I say more, other than I love this cut, it's really cool and I will admit it, I have been playing with my hair ever since I left the salon. I really enjoyed driving down the street with the windows open and having the wind play with my hair.

Having the wind blow through my hair is something that I cherish so much, being able to run my fingers through my hair is also something I cherish. However I greatly cherish being able to look in the mirror and love what I see, and I cherish the confidence that comes along with it. Prom was the first day that I ever truly saw myself as beautiful and it was a day where I finally got to know and feel beautiful for the first time, I had confidence beyond compare that day, I got to be a goddess. I was truly blessed and am eternally greatful......I had a dream and on June 20 2003 it finally came true...I feel so greatful and am so happy that my dream came true, I cannot say thank you enough times. When I go to the salon it's always a reminder of that dream come true. Thank you Andrew for making my dream come true!

Question: I'm wondering if it is true that shampoo's can really restore split ends, after recently having a haircut I have noticed split ends again. I heat style my hair about twice a week and use stuff that is supposed to helpt protect my hair, but there are still split ends. Without cutting down heat styling what is the best thing I should do to keep my hair in top shape?Answer: I regret to inform you that the claim that shampoo's or any other hair care product can restore split ends is not true. Good marketing tactic but plain and simply not true. Think about it, hair is dead, there is no way for it to repair itself once the damage is done its done. Hair is not like a wound that heals itself with time, hair once damaged is not repairable, the only way to remove the damage is to cut it off. You can think of hair like a piece of paper....you rip the piece of paper and you can try to piece it together or hold it together with tape and what not but you can always tell that it was torn....hope that illustrates the point.Ah, the "I got a haircut and I see split ends again after a few days" issue......this could be because the hair is more damaged than originally thought, what I mean is lets say you had 1 inch cut off, but your hair has 3 inches of damage, that one inch off is a start, but in a few days you'll see the split ends again because there is still 2 inches left of damaged hair....hope that made sense. It does sound like your hair is pretty damaged if it's still splitting after a hair cut.Maybe on your next salon visit you may want to bring this up to your stylist and you both can decide the best plan of action for your hair. This will probably entail cutting off more length on your next visit, but honestly its for the best. Remember the only way to get rid of split ends is to cut them off, sad but true.On to heat protectants, these products are not meant to completely protect your hair from heat styling damage, they are meant to minimize damage. So just because you use a heat protectant it doesn't give you permission to abuse your hair with super hot heat styling tools. If you flat iron your hair keep it on the lowest setting possible, I mean there is no point in turning it up to the highest heat temperature it goes. Start from the lowest temperature and work your way up until you find a temperature that works. You should not need to go above 180 degrees celcius. Some professional flat irons also have included in the instructions a temperature guide for your hair, so it will tell you the best heat setting for your hair.Heat protectants are the hair's first line of defense against the heat of the iron, but heat does penetrate through the product if not the hair would not be stylable, think of it as a first line of denfense. Heat protectants do work but you may not be thinking they are because of all the split ends you are seeing.Try Bedhead's Control Freak Serum as a heat protectant, it also doubles as a anti-frizz product and will prevent your hair from reverting....its one product I don't want to be without!Advice on keeping your hair healthy....1- Start out with a good haircut - Seriously one were all the damaged hair and ends are removed so only healthy hair is there.2- Use professional salon brand products....this is where your stylist can help you out, he or she can recommend the best products for you to use. Personally I love Bedhead, its my line of choice. 3-Use a heat protectant, it does help...4-Use a deep treatment/conditioner once every two weeks or even once a month (Bedhead's Chocolate Head is great)

5- Get regular trims - I know it sounds obvious but it's important, this will help keep the split ends at bay. You should talk to your stylist as to how often you should be coming in for a trim.

Hello everyone,It has been some time since my last post, but I had a super important party to attend last Friday and my mind has been stuck there for almost a month. I wanted all the details perfect and things went oh so well with some great surprises that night. Yes of course I felt like a star and was so beautiful, my whole look was awesome! It was a fun filled and lovely night, thank you God.So now on to the journal entry, I've been thinking about this for a few days and yesterday decided this is what my journal would be about (I thought of this laying in bed thinking I know it's weird but hey) So whose fault is it when TR or any other chemcial straightening service goes wrong.....I've thought about this for a while now....and I may have an answer.My answer is that two people are mainly at fault, the technician and you the client.The technician is at fault because obviously anything they did that was incorrect was their fault, so if you have the bends from the iron it's the technicians fault, if the reforming solution touched your scalp and you have burns from it then it's the technicians fault. There are too many technicians who do not know what they are doing, they apply, hope and pray but have no clue about what's really going on, they don't understand the science behind the art and it's sad.Having said that there is blame within the salon too....too many salons have their employees quickly trained on how to do Tr, because hey this is a high cost service and therefore equals big bucks for the salon. So sure they train them fast so that the salon can start offering the service and with that comes the profits. So the salon owners are to blame too because they do not ensure that their staff are adequately trained in doing the service. The thing they need to realize is that should the service go wrong they will one lose that client, two end up losing that money because the client asks for a refund, three may end up costing them money in doing free treatments or giving clients with a botched TR free products or treatments. Finally four, they lose their reputation for doing TR because as I always say a bad word spreads faster than a good one.Now lets go further up the ladder shall we? The product manufacturers/educators are at fault to, they do not make their training more thorough and the whole instructional video doesn't really help. They need to see the service as something truly serious and train the technicians better and have more "real" classes, not just a one day seminar when they demonstate on a model and they see the immediate results but not the hair after a few days or months or even after the first wash....like the client that sees perfect hair when she leaves the salon with her TR and only to notice breakage and worse afterwards. The company training is not adquate and should be tougher and more intense, focused on the science of it, actually understanding what is happening at each step to the hair,and how to troublshoot and identify problems during the serive.Now it seems that all these people are to blam and they are to blame very much so, more than the people I am about to mention. After all there is a certain amount of trust that clients put in their technician to do the chemical service. The technician is perceived as an expert and knows what they are doing, but with TR this is still not the case.....this is similar to cutting and colouring hair, some are better at it than others, some have more education and training under their belt than others, some have the passion that drives them and sadly others don't. Some get it and some don't. But now who is this last mystery group that is to blame you ask?.....CLIENTS...that's right, its our own fault at times,we sometimes want to believe in the best outcome, we are tooo trusting and that's where trouble starts. We think that if the salon is expensive and of high standard that we will be safe, but with TR it's not the case. I'm not bashing here, just saying it as it is.. Expensive salons and high class salons are great, and I'm sure the stylists that charge good money for their services give excellent cuts and colours...with TR I'm not convinced yet, as this is still fairly new to most technicians...after all there seemed to be a mad "boom" of TR services last summer or two summers ago. We as clients need to smarten up and do our research on our potential technician, because it is the welfare of our hair that is at stake. We need to interview and ask as many questions as we can think of, and even ask if their are assistants to help out for the process (there should not be any, the chemical application and ironing should be done by the technician alone!) We need to make sure there is enough time slotted for us to have the proper service done. It should not be the case that the technicians next client is walking in and you are not even halfway done! That causes the technician to rush it and possibly give it away to some other person or assistant to do which is a bad idea. Ask how long you are scheduled with the technician ask about assistants.We need to be diligent when researching and really check out a few different technicians and get some great advice and learn about the service from true pro's and experts such as Steve T...one of the hair guru's whom the site is dedicated to. So many disasters out there to be read, court cases pending, why? because we weren't completely careful, we didn't research it properly and well, we didn't learn enough about it and we didn't want to spend the money. We are also surrounded by technicians who are using us as teaching tools to learn...we need to be more careful. Sure you can say that even if you do it all perfectly right, interview and all that you may get a bad technician, but honestly, it shouldn't happen. As clients it's buyer beware, and we need to take this seriously, this is like surgery for the hair. TR breaks the bonds of the hair and then re-arranges them under the influences of the flat iron and in the end the bonds are put back together. Just think about how fragile the hair is and how important technique and knowledge is to the service. You have heard the horror stories, or worse you have been one, and the goal here is to make you see the truth about it, to help you make an educated choice about this process, I want to hear of no more horror storiesSo I sounded harsh, didn't I? But its the truth, we as clients need to take this stuff seriously, this is worse than a cut or colour gone bad, cuts and colours are fixable (well colour is more easily fixed then a cut, obviously the cut depends on the length and the nature of the issue but) TR gone wrong has depressing results, hair breakage and loss, follicle damage, chemical burns that cause the client pain...grief over the condition of the hair, and it hurts the self image, because of the immense time it takes to regrow the entirity of the hair.Even though it starts with manufacturers/educators not properly training technicians and believing they can learn it solely through a video (hey would you let your stylist cut your hair after watching a video maybe once or twice and pay him or her a good sum of money? I didn't think so) without understanding the science behind the art. Salon owners who don't ensure the staff is properly trained and technicians who don't understand the science behind the art yet continue to perform these services. Sure they are to blame, but so are you, the client, you were the one that let them do this, you probably didn't do your homework well or at all, if not it could have been avoided. Also when you get that feeling inside that this isn't right, then listen to it. If it says "hey I'm not so sure about this technician" find another and if anytime during the process, have them rinse the hair and get out of there.....Listen to that inner feeling should you get one, it could save your hair, so remember clients beware.

Easy Straight = Easy Disaster Part 2(the following is my own opinio, view and review of the product mentioned...except where noted the views are mine)It seems that since the last time I discussed easystraight their website has changed, and now the video is newer and this time the model does it herself without help. Either way same product same disasterous results for many people.I'm going to be honest while watching their online video I got lost at the diagnosis step, I cannot for the likes of me figure out the texture of my hair, is it medium, coarse, I don't know. My hair seems different when it is straight then when it is in its natural state, seems like the texture is different. Oh but easy straight doesn't mention in what state the hair should be in when diagnosing it. Nor does it mention anything about strength tests, but who cares, if you spend the money on the product. I don't mean what I'm about to say in any mean way, but clients aren't professionals and have a hard time diagnosong their hair....look at me I got lost in the diagnosis step. If you misdiagnose your hair then say disaster, oops you may have breakage or hair loss, but does the company really care? I'm not so sure, remember they want your money and it's your fault if you misdiagnose, they have a 1-800 number you can call and someone who cannot see your hair or touch it can help you diagnose it. But if you tell them wrong info it's still your fault. Their straightening experts cannot see your hair, so why trust them? Oh one other point if you watch the video carefully it says not to apply the step 2 cream to the scalp, but you can see the model got some on her head or very close to the scalp. Okay I'm not going to re-post my previous post called "Easystraight=Easy disaster" you can read through it, it's detailed and includes my opinions and views, I wrote Steve's views (TR GURU) and the opinions and results of users, read it and see for yourself....I decided to write on this again as I read a question for Steve on it....I wanted to write what Steve wrote to her, as I think it's important and another reason why you should not try this product"Here is the link and video demonstration of Easystraight http://www.easystraight.com/main.htm I want you watch the video a few times and try to visualize that this person is you. Be honest with yourself. Does it really seem to you that this is the right thing to do? Do you really think that this is an at-home job? Please open your horizons and look beyond. See what other people cannot see or refuses to see. Now tell me, is this what you really want to do?Look at it this way, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the United States, projected to 28/May/2006 is 298,619,154. If a very tiny small fraction 0.003% (100,000.00) of the population will buy Easystraight at $29.95 a kit, that's about 3 million dollars income just to buy the kit! This of course is very good for the economy. Ultimately, it is YOUR HAIR. Do you think that the company gives a hoot should you decide NOT to use it again? NO, because a NEW bunch of the population (100,000) will emerge and start using it anyway! So, year after year, after year, the sales percentage will stay about the same. You stop: They begin. Take good care of yourself, and be nice to your hair, nice and good. Treat it with respect. Steve" courtesy & property of www.verticalsinhair.comThink hard about what Steve has said, and keep in mind people are having problems with professionals straightening their hair, what makes you the client/consumer think you can do it better. You are worse than a technician with no experience, you don't even understand the structure of hair and at least some colour technicians have a grasp of the structure of hair to a certain extent. You who knows nothing about hair think you can do a perfect at home straightening job when the so-called technicians are struggling to do it right, forget that technicians are having a hard time with TR, they are even messing up vertical smoothing (X-tenso's etc) Re-read my original post of EasystraightStill think that product is a good idea?

Hello again all,This past week has been nutty, lots of studying for these crazy exams, but I'll be honest I'm happy when I'm done them, it's like one down two to go....Okay this is off topic, but I bought Jergens natural glow, and the stuff smells and I can't stand it....my whole house smells and my legs smell and so does my room. Okay so I applied it in my room and the smell persisted and I though well I'll spray some body spray...big mistake, now I don't know which smelled worse, the body spray or the Natural glow. Okay it's day one, but the smell is bad for someone who applied very little with a tissue! I don't really like getting my hands dirty with something that can "colour" my hands. I'll soon see, I'll try again tomorrow, I have two weeks basically till my big day, so we'll see about the natural glow, if it still smells bad like this tomorrow, forget it. I'm now opting for Sally Hansen spray on legs....I'll apply it with a tissue too, no hands!Okay tonights post, I can't believe the stuff that I read online, I really really can't. I just don't understand some people...this stems from a post I read online about a girl who had TR done...the story goes like this, she had her tr done and she waited 48 hours and then washed her hair and it reverted to curls, but she also mentioned that she had quite a bit of breakage. Here's the part that irked me, she was thinking about letting that same technician re-do it again for her, but she's not sure if she should put her hair through that damage again.First and foremost I have to say one thing before I litterally get into the post....the first thing is it's not 48 hours its 72 hours. The whole 72 hour waiting time to wash is to ensure that the hair has in essence "locked" into it's new position and that the bonds have been "set" Remember that after the TR service the bonds are still soft and need to harden...it's like glue, after TR the glue is wet and needs time to harden, the "glue" will take 72 hours to settle approximately. Some people's hair will harden faster than others, but to be safe an expert technician will say 72 hours. This ensures that the hair has locked into it's new shape.Okay now I am going to tear into this girl and hopefully knock some darn sense into her. Firstly this girl had a BOTCHED TR, that's right, botched, the hair should not revert and worse the hair should not break.Look, let's be honest the technician is still way too new at this, obviously not educated or trained well enough to do the process correctly if not you would not have had experienced this problem.I'm gonna tell you all that too many technician get trained with a dvd or a one or two day seminar, would you let your hair stylist cut your hair after watching a dvd or attending a two day seminar having known nothing prior to that about cutting hair? I know you won't, with TR the effects of a botched service are worse, you can damage the hair follicle itself and worse cause permanent reduction. I wonder if shetook the time to interview the technician properly? Did he or she even test herr hair? TR and all chemical services should have a thorough consultation, the hair should have been tested, and you should have asked the technician tons of questions, please refer to the other parts of my site that deal with the TR technician interview questions and other sections dealing with TR or you can visit Steve's site, www.verticalsinhair.comAlso the hair should have gone through tests, that's right, a porosity test, elasticity test and a structural test. The technician should have asked her about her hair, any issues she has and the sort.Sounds to me like she never had that....don't put your hair through that kind of situation again, he or she botched it once and will do it again, you aren't a teaching tool for them!Realize that breakage is NOT part of the results, this girl got breakage and is thinking about letting that person re-do it? What the heck is she thinking! I'm just wondering if she just wants more breakage or if she has any clue that this technician is not well-versed with TR or if she just doesn't know that breakage is NOT part of the TR process...None the less re-doing the hair is a big NO NO. He or she doesn't really understand the science behind Tr, don't be the teaching tool, go to someone who knows what they are doing and understands TR.Don't just trust technicians that post on beauty boards and say things, because there is such a thing as copy and paste and a technician Dianne does that all the time with Steve's work, she copies the stuff and then when questioned about it or asked to explain it she can't....she can't becuase she is clueless about what she wrote, she copied and pasted it, but if you ask Steve he can explain what he wrote because he wrote it! See they can seem smart and knowledgeable but may not be, do not trust people unless you thoroughly interview them and are sure that they answered your questions thoroughly. I just can't understand people, some just jump into any technicians chair that says "sure I do tr" just because they say they do it doesn't make them any good. You know how hard it is to find a great stylist or colourist or what not, TR is a billion times harder when it comes to finding someone great, this stuff is still new and the training offered is crap, think about it. All salons are interested in the TR service because it's an expensive service, and yup they can rack in the money. Most clients don't notice a problem when they leave the salon it's after they are home or after the first wash or first few days or weeks, see the issue, then it turns into client vs. technican + salon.......and once the damage is done there is nothing the technician or salon can really do to fix it. Once done the TR process can't be undone, if the breakage is happening then it's going to happen, no product can fix it, products can slow it and try to salvage any good hair but it can't make it the way it was before the TR. You want the technician that can answer your questions properly, someone whose been doing TR for years, who understands the science behind the art...believe it or not the ironing process is harder than it looks....I've seen Steve Tcherkezian do this and I was surprised at the skill it takes, it's not the way I normally iron my hair, much more caution was taken and it's all about holding the iron at the correct angle and knowing how to properly do the ironing technique. It's not just flat iron decently it's got to be perfect, because you are forming the hair in it's new position and if not done correctly there will be bends!I'm sure this post has come off as harsh, but it's not that I mean it to be that way, okay in a sense I do. I'm trying to educate people and get clients to open up their eyes to what they are doing. Many clients are becoming technicians practice tools at an expensive price in two ways...first the money you pay for the service, and secondly the damage that is done to the hair, including breakage, and hair loss and in some cases follicle damage. Also keep in mind that it will take approximately two years to grow out the TR (assuming that your hair is a bit below your shoulders, hair grows approx 1/4-1/2 inch per month) Just think about the damage, ask any girl with a botched TR if she regrets it, and the heartache of having to deal with breakage or hair loss.I'm saying that you have to open up your eyes and do your research educate yourself about TR and try to understand the process to a certain extent. Interview the technician using the interview sheet and consultation sheet here on my site or Steve's site. Read through the information on both sites and ask questions if you are not sure. Ensure that you are getting the best information about the service you can, before making a decision have an interview with the technician, don't just go with a technician because you read something they wrote online, I told you about the copy and paste situation with another technician....Interview them and ask them to clariffy things for you and explain all of it to you, in detail, ask them to rephrase what they said if you don't understand it, ask for the scientific information if you want...learn everything and question everything, a good technician can tell you the truth about it. Read through Steve Tcherkezian's site, not just because I'm telling you to, but because the man is a GURU, the man has been doing chemical hair straightening for 25 years, has gone to many seminars including hair symposiums, knows the structure of hair and is an industry leader. The man stays up at night to post replies to people on his boards and help people with their TR disasters. Need I say more about Steve? Well I will, the man is considered the best by so many, he is recommended by so many, I call him a GURU, others call him that too....he's the best of the best, ask his clients and ask those who have turned to him for help after a tr gone wrong, just read the forum on his site. Again here's his site link (it's also on your left hand side in "links") www.verticalsinhair.comI wrote this post in hopes that I could educate some of you out there and open your eyes to the reality of TR and to show you that just because someone says they can do it doesn't mean they understand it at all. I don't want to read any more botched TR stories (although I will) the girl had one and was thinking about another with that same technician---just a disaster in the making. She needs to smarten up and stop playing practice tool for this technician.I want people to educate themselves about TR and really understand it and find the best technician they can, and if they can't find one in there area and won't travel then forget it. Don't risk it, it's your hair and you will pay the price. If you are a girl you know that your hair is important to you...you know how you'd feel if your cut or colour didn't come out right, but image TR, a billion times worse when done wrong because unlike a cut or colour, it's hard and sometiems impossible to fix a botched TR. Once the damage is done to the structure that's it, it's done. Colour and cuts can be corrected much more easily......you don't want to live with breakage or hair loss or the worst hair follicle damage that results in reduction (less hair growing from there) You want the best and you DESERVE the best! Stop playing practice toy and get a technician who understands, research and realize YOU are the one who suffers if it's done wrong. You may get your money back, but you can't get your hair back to the condition it was in prior to TR, you'll have to wait and grow it all out. Be smart open your eyes...seee the truth and stop jumping into random technicians chairs because they say they know what they are doing. Stop believing they can fix a botched tr, if they couldn't get it right the first time who knows what worse disaster is coming for you. Be smart, be educated, research, ask questions, interview, consult and get the best because you deserve it.For the BEST information on TR please visit Steve's site, as all I have learned about TR and vertical smoothing and the structure of hair in general I have learned from Steve. I am appreciative to him for all the help and guidance, truly a star and one of a kind. Here's the addy again.www.verticalsinhair.comGood night and take care and remember: